The cicadas of Brood X are everywhere right now in certain parts of the US. And, with that, some people have decided to start eating them—so many, in fact, that the US Food and Drug Administration felt it necessary to issue a warning: Don’t snack on cicadas if you’re allergic to shellfish.
People had plenty of questions in the comments—including why some are actually eating these bulbous-eyed bugs. While eating bugs, aka entomophagy, is common in some parts of the world, it’s getting more popular in the US, Jean Tsao, PhD, associate professor in the Departments of Fisheries & Wildlife and Large Animal Clinical Sciences at Michigan State University, tells Health. “It’s bigger and bigger because of the desire to find another protein source that is more sustainable vs. eating cows, pigs, chicken, sheep, and goats,” she says.
First: Why can’t you eat cicadas if you’re allergic to seafood?
But back to cicadas and possible allergic reactions from eating them—what exactly is going on here? And, if you’re not allergic to seafood, can you give them a try? Here’s what you need to know.
Cicadas—along with shrimp, crabs, crayfish and lobsters—belong the phylum Arthropoda, Marc Potzler, a board-certified entomologist with Ehrlich Pest Control, tells Health. Other members of Arthropoda include insects like crickets and lady bugs, as well as arachnids like spiders and ticks.
So what can happen if you’re allergic to seafood and eat a cicada?
Shellfish allergies impact about seven million Americans, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI). And, if you’re one of those people, experts say it’s likely you’ll develop the same symptoms after eating a cicada that you would if you ate shellfish. According to the ACAAI, those can include:
So what can happen if you’re allergic to seafood and eat a cicada?
Depending on how severe your allergy is, you may need to use an epinephrine auto-injector (like an EpiPen) if you happen to eat a cicada when you’re allergic to shellfish.
The short answer: Yes. “Cicadas aren’t toxic to people,” Ben Hottel, technical services manager at Orkin, tells Health.
There’s also the risk of foodborne illness, just like with other forms of protein. “An uncooked or undercooked cicada may carry microorganisms that can cause food illnesses, particularly if birds are common where the cicadas are collected from,” Potzler says.
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